The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-16
THE GREATEST CENTENNIAL.

It is q grand celebration which is goinl
on in Philadelphia now. 1t is thu
grandest ever witnessed in America, i
not in the world. The grandeur is no
so much in the pomp and display
though these are enthusiastic anC
brilliant, the people generally in tha
city and many from adjacent and ever
distant places joining in the demonstra
ton. But the glory of the occasion is
in the matter, The event is the CEN
tennisl celebra ton of the anniversary
of the adoption and signing OF the
American Constitu tioE-the grandest,
the most humane, the very best in al
respects of all the fundamental laws for
the government of men. The Constitu-
ton was an experiment in human gov
eminent. 1t was so wide departure
from everything which then existed
that few besides those who &C
.cepted it as their primal civil
law believed it would be last
ing. Failure was predicted. for it
throughout the world, for mankind had
been living so long under a different
and totally unlike system of govern
ment than was here marked out, that
men could not believe it possible to
maintain a state under the liberal sys
TEN proposed. People had not heen
trained to believe that all men we're
equal at birth, and were entitled to the
same rights and privileges through life.
1t was not the thing to assume that
government should be by the people
and for the people. Hitherto laws were
all based on the idea of classes; a class
enacted the statutes; governmental
powers and authority did not come
from the consent OF the governed,
but we're assumed and exercised by a
class privileged by birth; there had been
an almost universal acquiescence in the
theory that the many were slaves, in
manner, to the few; hence when the
American patriots who had fought and
suffered so many years in an unequal
contest, formulated and adopted a
scheme of government absolutely
de uocratic in principle, and in which
human rights we're recognized as the
basis, the world wondered and doubted.
4 century has passed since the Con-
stitution was adopted by the conven- |
ton, for the purposes set forth in the |
preamble. gin order to form a more |
perfect union, establish justice, insure |
domestic tranquility, provide for the |
common defense, promote the general |
welfare, and secure the blessings of |
liberty to ourselves and our posterity."
The Constitution long since passed |
the period of experiment, and |
assaults by traitors
and enemies from within and |
without, stands to-day monument to |
the wisdom, the patriotism, the demo
cracy and the broad humanity of its !
trainers. 1t is recognized everywhere |
on this continent as the embodiment OF
political wisdom, and the world over is
looked upon as the most mastery of all !
schemes of democratic government.
Well may we celebrate the hundredth
of so important an lnstru-
ment-an instrument which has been a
protection to the weak against the en-
croachments of the strong, an encour
agement to the ambitious and a watch
full guardian over human rights. 1t is
something to be proud of thst the Con.
stitution has lived century, aud is to-
day the model for republican So
cieties and governments. Having
existed a hundred years. and withstood
attacks that would have destroyed a less
perfect instrument, we may entertain
slight apprehension as to the eyerlast-
ing character Of the Constitution.